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Leading
the Way to a Low-Energy Future
By Megan Quinn Bachman
The failure of the Copenhagen climate talks taught us one
thing-that hoping for intelligent responses to climate change from
the world's governments is an exercise in futility. It's just not
going to happen in time.
But my disappointment in government leaders in the U.S. and
elsewhere is matched by my admiration for a new influential group of
Americans, whom I call lifestyle leaders-for they are taking matters
into their own hands, such as through building gardens, weatherizing
their homes, getting rid of their cars, moving off-grid, bartering
with neighbors and joining Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) programs. |
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Believing this group may hold the key to the rapid
dissemination of low-energy lifestyles among the general public, I
conducted an online survey on two sustainability-oriented listservs
in late 2009 of 2,005 of those who have made changes to their
lifestyles in response to climate change, peak oil and other
environmental threats. One hundred and thirty-four people from the
Northwest participated (51 from Washington, 69 from Oregon, 11 from
Idaho, and 3 from Montana).
What have these early adopters done in response to these
threats? More than two-thirds of survey takers said they cut
purchases, bought more local goods and services, conserved energy in
their homes and put in a garden. One-sixth have started new careers,
such as a truck driver who became a permaculture teacher. |
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And these early adopters are reaching out to others.
Nine out of ten are helping others to make similar changes, mostly by
talking to people and modeling sustainable behaviors. Take the case
of a 40-year-old man from Pennsylvania, who helps his neighbors grow
their own food. "Our goal is to produce an example of what
suburbanites must do to survive the collapse of our current
system," he wrote.
What were the hardest changes to make? Driving less and
changing their diet, both a product of bad habits. "Not jumping
into a car every time I turned around," was how one respondent,
a 52-year old man from rural Wisconsin, explained it. |
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What To Do? Other barriers to effective action were cost,
especially financing expensive home retrofits and renewable energy
systems, lack of support from one's family, especially when it comes
to diet change, and lack of community and societal support,
particularly when local food products and mass transit services were
not available.
Understanding these barriers is critical-for if these
exceptionally motivated individuals are held back, we can assume
other people will have similar difficulties. These findings may help
us all to learn what to expect. |
The good news is that it hasn't been all hard times
for these lifestyle leaders. Many changes have made their lives
better, like adopting a low-energy and local diet, gardening (which
was frequently described as "fun") and walking and
bicycling more. More than three-quarters of respondents reported
greater happiness satisfaction or personal growth since embracing new
ways of living.
Those lifestyle change leaders making the more significant
reductions in fossil fuel use are pioneering a new way to live on
this planet that everyone will eventually have to adopt to preserve
climate stability and survive the end of the fossil fuel age. Some
survey findings that may help those working to accelerate awareness
and action among the general public are:
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People are driven to act in the face of global threats largely by a
sense of right and wrong - their conscience - with some encouragement
and inspiration from books, movies, media programs and articles.
- Emphasizing the positive consequences of particular lifestyle
changes, and focusing on health and wellness benefits and a simpler,
more satisfying life may be more effective ways to encourage change
than promoting financial savings.
- The lack of support from one's community and family and lack of
assistance with overcoming unhelpful personal habits and attitudes
are more significant roadblocks to effective response than not having
enough information on what actions to take.
- Growing one's own food is a popular and transformative way to
begin living a more sustainable lifestyle, and may lead to a new
career opportunity and the development of more community support.
- Most people do not feel they need to measure the impact of their
lifestyle changes, but some think such feedback would motivate and
assist them with doing more. Setting goals, even without measurement,
is extremely helpful.
- Nine out of ten people plan to make additional changes, including
starting or expanding a garden, installing a renewable energy system,
or working with others in their local community to make broader, more
systemic changes.
Instead of waiting for the results of the next climate change
summit in Mexico, why not get to work as individuals and communities?
Ultimately whether we meet carbon dioxide reduction targets or not
comes down to what we do, or not do, as energy consumers.
As a 59-year-old rural Kentucky man said in the survey,
"Though I don't have much faith that we as a nation, or world,
are willing to make the needed changes, I believe we must work toward
those changes...The only true way to fail is to not try."
Megan Quinn Bachman did this survey as part of her course work for
a master's degree in earth and environmental education at Wright
State University in Fairborn, Ohio. It was originally published at www.ecowatch.org/pubs/mar10/earthwise.htm.
For a complete report on the survey's findings, email her at megan@ecowatch.org |
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Northwest
News Roundup
Oregon
Senate Passes BETC Reform
The Oregon Senate passed House Bill 3680 on February 22. The
bill reduces the amount of Business Energy Tax Credits available for
large-scale wind projects and sets sunset dates for credits related
to manufacturing and renewable energy projects. Now, the bill will go
to the House for concurrence. The changes to BETC are expected to
recover $54 million for the state from 2009 to 2011 and an additional
$97 million from 2011 to 2013.
In addition to smaller subsides for wind projects, the
legislation caps the credit for manufacturing at $200 million based
on pre-certification costs and caps the credit for renewable energy
projects to $300 million. It also allows additional BETCs for
companies that start a new, distinct manufacturing business that
provides new jobs for the state.
The BETC for manufacturing will sunset on Jan. 1, 2014 and the
BETC for renewable energy will sunset on July 1, 2012.
Oregon
State Guidelines Issued for BETC Pass-Through Rate
Over the past few months, the Oregon Department of Energy has
made changes to the state's Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC)
pass-through option. This option allows non-taxpaying entities, and
businesses without tax liability, to take advantage of the tax
credit. Under the pass-through option, a project owner may transfer a
tax credit to a pass-through partner in return for a lump-sum cash
payment upon completion of the project. ODOE has issued guidelines,
effective January 1, 2010, establishing a formula for the
pass-through rate - the amount an individual or business pays to buy
a tax credit. The new rate is based on five-year U.S. Treasury notes
and the urban Consumer Price Index for the west region, and should
result in more money going to renewable energy project developers
rather than pass-through partners.
Largest
NW Utility-Scale Solar Project Will Use Medium Voltage Inverter
Platform from PV Powered
Bend, OR - February 3, 2010 - PV Powered, Inc., announces that
its PowerVault™ DC-to-medium voltage turnkey inverter platform
has been selected for use in the Northwest's largest utility-scale
project to date.
The first project will begin installation in April, with
additional 5MW projects to follow this year. The project is being
developed in Lake County, Oregon, near Christmas Valley by the
Obsidian Finance Group of Portland, which will manage the project
under a 20-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with a large Pacific
Northwest utility.
This ground mount solar installation will use PV Powered's new
PowerVault, a fully engineered and factory assembled turnkey inverter
power plant with DC inputs on one side and medium voltage outputs on
the other. The enclosure provides a service environment and
protection from vandalism, while the integrated design eliminates the
need for separate pads, trenching and conduits between components,
significantly reducing the need for field labor, saving money and
accelerating the construction schedule. www.pvpowered.com
Solar
Research Center Set To Open
The Oregon Process Innovation Center for Sustainable Solar
Cell Manufacturing at Oregon State University (OSU) is scheduled to
be fully operational this May, officials say.
With almost $2.7 million in new funding and the recent
acquisition of new equipment, the facility could help heighten the
state's position as a leader in solar cell innovation and manufacturing.
The center would support more than 20 faculty and researchers
from OSU, the University of Oregon, Portland State University and the
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, as well as private industry
collaborators. The facility would also enable unique hands-on student
educational opportunities.
The center is designed to provide a shared laboratory and
equipment, and serve as a resource to develop new solar cell
concepts, as well as improving existing technologies.
Solarworld
Assembling Modules in Oregon
SolarWorld, a global solar manufacturing firm, announced it is
adding a new solar module assembly line to its manufacturing plant in
Hillsboro, Oregon. The addition will make the Hillsboro plant the
first fully integrated crystalline silicon PV plant in the Americas.
With the new addition, the facility will handle the full production
cycle, starting with polysilicon rock and ending with finished solar
modules. www.solarworld-usa.com |
